Egypt's national team has broken the jinx that has plagued them in penalty shootouts in recent years, after overcoming Australia at the 2026 World Cup.
Egypt defeated Australia 4-2 on penalties after the match ended 1-1 following normal time and extra time, sending the Egyptian side into the round of 16 at a World Cup for the first time in their history and bringing an end to a painful series of failures from the penalty spot.
The victory gave Egypt their first penalty shootout win in more than 4 years, having lost their previous 4 shootouts — in recent Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and in the qualifying play-offs for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The run began in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations final, when Egypt lost to Senegal 4-2 on penalties, just weeks before falling to the same opponents again, 3-1 on penalties, in the decisive play-off round for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The Pharaohs' misery continued at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, when they were eliminated in the round of 16 by the Democratic Republic of Congo, losing 8-7 on penalties, and then lost the third-place match at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations to Nigeria 4-2 on penalties.
Egypt finally changed their fate as their players converted all 4 of their penalties, closing the chapter on their shootout failures and delivering a historic achievement for Egyptian fans with a place in the World Cup round of 16.